To prevent Dreaming Nun from suffering so much, Arturo hired a hypnotist from abroad to make her lose her memory and even assume another identity. Even if she forgot herself, he didn't want her to torment herself with guilt every day.
After completing everything, Arturo left silently. He knew all too well that he could never be with Dreaming Nun again in this lifetime—otherwise, it would only bring tragedy to both of them.
As long as Dreaming Nun was still alive, he would be satisfied. Meanwhile, Dreaming Nun, now with lost memories and a new identity, descended the mountain and kept running around to save the nunnery. She possessed some supernatural abilities, allowing her to see things others couldn't. Because of this, people treated her as mentally ill and sent her to an institution for treatment. But every time she was confined, she managed to escape.
All the mysteries were finally solved, and the truth about Dreaming Nun came to light. This Arturo was not only deeply devoted but also highly capable—he had gathered so many people to set up this elaborate scheme. It seems I misjudged him; he was neither a scoundrel nor a weakling.
On the other hand, this Webster—doing the bare minimum, afraid of everything, married yet still lusting after other women, wanting to flirt with girls but fearing retribution—pah! Trash. A complete scumbag.
But there was still something I didn't quite understand. What exactly was this so-called Mountain Ghost? Was it some kind of powerful spirit?
That was when Stein began explaining. He asked me if I had ever seen Journey to the West.
I scoffed—what kind of question was that? Who hasn't seen Journey to the West? You might as well ask if I had a childhood!
Stein told me to just listen. In Journey to the West, there was a White-Bone Demon—she was a Mountain Ghost.
The White-Bone Demon was originally a female corpse that had turned to bleached bones on White Tiger Mountain. Filled with resentment, she coincidentally absorbed the mountain's spiritual energy and the essence of the sun and moon, eventually taking the form of a ghost. She belonged to a type of Mountain Ghost, but she was a Ghoul—one formed naturally.
Dreaming Nun's case, however, was different—it was man-made. After she became a ghost, the sorcerer fused her vengeful resentment with the mountain's spiritual energy, refining her into a Mountain Ghost.
Mountain Ghosts were incredibly difficult to destroy. Unless you flattened the entire mountain or eliminated the ghostly resentment, even if you killed her, she would be reborn through the mountain's energy and lingering hatred. Of course, if you had Sun Wukong's divine power and abilities, then forget everything he just said.
Nonsense! If I had Sun Wukong's skills, I'd have been long gone by morning—I wouldn't even be here talking to you!
According to Stein, there was only one way to get rid of this female ghost—to help her move on and eliminate her ghostly resentment. A direct, forceful approach was impossible because she couldn't truly be killed.
Arturo was ruthless. Though he couldn't kill this senior sister, he ensured she would remain a ghost forever. It seemed Arturo also harbored deep hatred for her—she was the one who ruined his chance to be with Dreaming Nun. If not for her, Arturo and Dreaming Nun might have already had a child.
"Mr. Roger, since they're ghosts, why not just give each of them an Exorcism Tattoo?" Antonio asked.
I shook my head. That would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Even if we protected the nuns, the Mountain Ghost would still harm others who ventured up the mountain. Besides, those nuns were already corrupted by evil spirits—how could we expect them to sit still for tattoos? And with so many of them, did he want to work me to death?
I told Stein to think of another solution—direct ghost-repelling tattoos wouldn't work.
Stein scratched his head, then paced around as if deep in thought.
About ten minutes later, he snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"
Although this elder sister had become a vicious ghost, this was only her most violent side. Human nature is fundamentally good—in fact, among the three souls, there is an evil soul, a good soul, and a neutral soul.
If we could awaken her good soul, we might still help her move on. Her corruption stemmed from jealousy—she resented that the man she loved was with Dreaming Nun. They were both nuns, so why couldn't she love, while Dreaming Nun could?
But since she had once been a nun, she must have had a good side. By inspiring that good soul, there might still be hope for her.
However, we couldn't wait for her to come to us. We had to enter the Netherworld in the Mountains to find her. If she came out first, she'd be in a violent, uncontrollable state, making it nearly impossible to reach her good soul.
"The Netherworld in the Mountains?" Dreaming Nun said. "I've heard my master say that those who die in the mountains fall under the Mountain God's control. So, there is a netherworld within the mountains. If the Mountain God refuses to let you go, your yin and yang souls will be trapped there forever. But this Netherworld—only the dead can enter. How can we, the living, go?"
That was when Stein looked at me—and the others followed suit.
Alright, alright, I got it!
I racked my brain, trying to recall if there were any Gods and Ghosts Tattoos that could allow the living to enter the realm of the dead. It seemed my grandfather had once taught me something similar.
After thinking for about two minutes, I had a sudden realization and immediately remembered.
There was indeed something called the Nine Netherworlds Ghost Lamp, and this Gods and Ghosts Tattoo came with significant power.
As the saying goes: the ultimate light is darkness, and the ultimate darkness is light. The Nine Netherworlds Ghost Lamp represents the eternal darkness of the underworld - its lamp is pitch black, and its light emits an eerie green glow, extremely sinister.
This lamp embodies the primordial darkness of hell, and therefore normally only the dead can wield it. But when tattooed on a living person's body, it grants the same effect.
Anyone who holds the Nine Netherworlds Ghost Lamp with murderous intent will find that beneath its light, all things perish, all living beings are annihilated, and the only destination is hell. However, those who hold the Nine Netherworlds Ghost Lamp with good intentions can use it to cross the Sea of Bitterness, connecting yin and yang to reach the opposite shore. Not only can they enter the mountain's netherworld, but even the true underworld itself becomes accessible!